And Then There Is Kodiak

After a foggy evening aboard we got ourselves packed up to go ashore in  Kodiak. When you have had a great fun in one place and you know more good times lie ahead - but you just hate to let the moment pass - it is a bit bittersweet. But, we can't spend all our time looking back - so we shifted gears and got ready for the wonderful island home of our niece and her family. Since cell service was spotty over in Prince William Sound the last chance we'd had to communicate with the Kodiak clan was when we left Chenega Bay but, sure enough, they were waiting on the dock when we arrived right on schedule at 6:00 a.m.  It was really wonderful seeing the Kodiak bunch again and exciting that we were to experience our great-niece's graduation activities. And, believe me, the activities are many! I'll try to keep things going here but, keep in mind, we now have two phones, an iPad and a Nikon clicking away at about a zillion photos per minute. So, we will probably break this up into several posts. And, as we get our photos collected and compared we'll probably stick in some "updates" as we go. Coming in from the ferry terminal all three of us - Linda, Rick and I - experienced a feeling of homecoming.  As we passed the Russian Orthodox Church near where Rick posed for a picture during our last visit memories rushed back and it was almost as if that trip was only a few months ago. Kodiak has a long and storied history dating back more than 7,000 years - to the time the Alutiiq took up residence on what they referred to as "kadiak" or the "island". When the Russian explorer Steven Glotov "discovered" it in 1763 he adopted the Alutiiq name but spelled it Kadyak only to have it revised to "Kodiak" by Capt. James cook in 1778.  However you spell it, it is a truly magical place and the thing that is remarkable is that all facets of this rich but varied heritage are celebrated equally and festively by the folks who carry the legacies forward. We will touch on local history some more but we've got a party to get ready for right now - and, we're on the decorating crew. We'll make this a short post but we'll be back soon to talk more about this great town - and Island. See ya.

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